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23 Spectacular Facts About Sierra Leone

Looking to boost your knowledge of the big wide world? Why not start with these 23 facts about Sierra Leone?

Geographical stats…

Sierra Leone is a small wildlife-rich country in west Africa.

It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east and Liberia to the southeast. It also has a coastline along the North Atlantic Ocean to the west.

Whether you’d like to relax on a beautiful sandy beach or explore the luscious green nature reserves that Sierra Leone has to offer, you might want to keep the coordinates 8.4844° N, 13.2344° W handy if you’re travelling independently.

Sierra Leone boasts mountains in the east, mangrove swamps to the west and upland plateau throughout the rest of the country.

The total land area of Sierra Leone is 27,699 square miles (71,740 square kilometres)…

…that’s slightly smaller than Scotland.

Sierra Leone’s population was 5,879,098 in 2015…

…that’s slightly larger than the population of Scotland.

Residents here are known as Sierra Leoneans.

The capital is Freetown; it covers an area of 138 square miles (357 square kilometres) and had a population of 1,007,000 in 2015.

Sierra Leoneans enjoy a tropical climate with a wet summer season (May to December), followed by a dry winter season (December to April).

Wildlife enthusiasts will be excited to learn that Sierra Leone boasts 4 wildlife reserves which are home to a range of wild animals including chimpanzees, lions, buffalos, hippopotamuses, elephants and many diverse species of bird!

Queen Elizabeth II Qua in Sierra Leone is the world’s third largest natural harbour!

Social intricacies

The official language of Sierra Leone is English.

After more than 150 years of British rule, Sierra Leone gained independence from Great Britain in 1961.

A bit of a mouthful, the Sierra Leonean Leone is the official currency here.

The average life span here is 58 years.

Sierra Leone’s police force was created by the British in 1894, making it one of West Africa’s oldest police forces!

The name Sierra Leone is derived from the Portuguese for ‘Lion Mountains’!